Joshua Brown

Postdoctoral Researcher

About Joshua

Joshua W. Brown is a postdoctoral researcher with the Exchange for Local Observations and Knowledge of the Arctic (ELOKA) at NSIDC. Brown examined Salish people’s food sovereignty and food systems while earning a Ph.D. in cultural and applied anthropology at the University of Montana. Brown is now developing research focused on Indigenous data and storytelling that contribute to ELOKA’s goal of enhancing the use and usefulness of Indigenous data while upholding Indigenous data sovereignty. Brown’s previous work centered around revitalizing the Salish language within his home community through organizing projects and implementing policies. Brown co-founded Nkwusm, a Salish language immersion school, and established a Native American Language Teacher Institute at Salish Kootenai College (SKC). His work at SKC included exploring and teaching language teaching techniques, testing and refining the Salish language curriculum and improving the Salish language skills of language teachers in training through instruction and language teaching practicum. With National Science Foundation and other funding, Brown has also contributed to further documenting the Salish language in multiple formats. He is committed to helping Indigenous communities document and share their knowledges. He is also excited to work with an array of Indigenous communities, and others partnered with ELOKA. 

Specialties

Joshua is a postdoctoral researcher with the Exchange for Local Observations and Knowledge of the Arctic, focusing on Indigenous data and storytelling. These projects also co-produce knowledges that Indigenous communities employ in documenting and sharing their history, lifeways, and languages, along with information about climate change and ecological changes in their areas.

Current Research

Brown’s current research focuses on Indigenous data and storytelling that contribute to ELOKA’s goal of enhancing the use and usefulness of Indigenous data while upholding Indigenous data sovereignty. It include co-production of knowledge with Indigenous communities and academic partners, and producing multimedia for atlases documenting Indigenous knowledge. 

Education

Ph.D., University of Montana, Cultural and Applied Anthropology, 2023
MPH, University of Montana, Community Health and Prevention Sciences Concentration, 2022
MPA, University of Montana, Emphasis: Politics of Languages, 2003
B.A., University of Montana, Native American Studies, Minor: Linguistics, 2001
Certification, University of Montana, Teaching English as a Second Language, 2001
Special Certification, Salish Kootenai College, Salish Cultural Leadership, 1999
Associate Degrees, Salish Kootenai College, Native American Studies & Bilingual Education, 1997
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Contact

Honors/Awards
Montana IdeA Network of Biomedical Research Excellence Fellow
2022
Northwest Native American Research Centers for Health Fellow
2018
NSF/NEH Documenting Endangered Languages Fellow
2014
Echoing Green Fellow
2003